We do not always fear failure if it is someone else's

Getting along by going along may be the current trendy mantra but it spells disaster for governance in particular and organizations in general. The whole point is to make sure that the questions that ought to be asked before dumping a lot of money on a bad idea, do get asked.

Sometimes accepting an inadequate result so that everybody will feel good about themselves may be tolerable. Kids need to be encouraged and gain confidence on unimportant things. Most work-related things are not thst way.

When there are millions of dollars, or dozens of jobs, on the line, it's no longer appropriate to smile sweetly and let things continue on.  But -- of course in the past, not, ahem, in my current assignment -- I've seen this a lot.  "What are you trying to do, embarrass me?" Well, no, not really. I tried to help you get ready for the decision board meeting but you decided it was a hassle.  Hundreds of thousands, or millions, at stake and for you a bit more than a 3x5 is too much trouble. All the templates do is make sure you've thought of the key points, but you still have to think the matter through. If you're unable to address those issues when the board asks about it, whose fault is that. Yup, you do look bad. Rightly so.

I definitely don't want that mindset going on with regard to anything that is important to me. And I've seen it recently - even in life-threatening situations. Sometimes professionals are reluctant to embarrass their colleagues; fortunately my spouse has friends sufficiently prominent in their profession that they're able to "just sit in to see what's going on". Amazing the change in open-minded vonsideration of the possibilities when that happens. So it should be when your project governance board members are getting briefed.

Schadenfreude.  What a grand rolling word for a very destructive urge: taking pleasure in watching someone else fail. If we know they're on the wrong track and we don't say anything, are we really just helping them avoid embarrassment now, or are we cheerfully ensuring that the embarrassment will surely happen?